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Decisions make Shopping Less Stressful!

Thursday, June 8, 2017

Decisions make Shopping Less Stressful!

Shopping! You either love it or hate it, but before you Men press the ‘close’ button, this applies to you as well as to the Ladies. Making shopping decisions can be just as important as making business decisions as far as your relationship with your Partner goes.

Even on the internet, shopping takes time & we’re all short of that! Ordering or shopping for day to day items doesn’t present too much of a problem as we often go into automatic mode & put the same food items in our shopping baskets every time or go for the same fashion look as before.

Issues arise when we want something a bit different; something for a special occasion when we want to really push the boat out or impress others. When the stakes are higher than normal, we recognise the need to up our game & decide to go shopping for something above the usual ‘same old’. This is when our ‘off the peg’ decision making process lets us down.

I brought a very expensive outfit for my Son’s wedding a few years ago. I felt a million dollars in it (partly because it did cost a small fortune) but it came with some drawbacks. I had to use a safety pin to preserve my modesty around the cleavage area; the shoes only accommodated 4 of my toes comfortably; the colour was so obscure that finding matching accessories was really stressful.

If only I’d have known then, what I know now! I’ve recently discovered the ‘Three Word Style Statement’ (3WSS) that I now use whenever I go shopping for absolutely everything (excluding the weekly food shop). By choosing just three words that describe ‘Me’ I can use them as criteria for potential purchases.

I used to dread shopping but by applying my 3WSS to ‘out of the mundane’ items I save so much time & reduce my stress levels. I don’t get bored, irritated or despondent & I don’t waste time taking items back that I decided weren’t really suitable after I got them home. I’ve already decided what I’m looking for before I go shopping, so the choice is limited & I’m not overwhelmed. If something catches my eye but doesn’t fit my 3WSS, then it doesn’t get a second look – I move on to the next aisle.

Boredom thresholds when you’re out shopping are far lower in males than in females. So if you’re looking for a special ingredient for dinner or a show-stopping outfit for an important occasion, you can kill two birds with one stone & spend quality time with your partner & shop together without getting stressed! The children will benefit too as most babies, toddlers & young children I know also have low boredom thresholds. Research has shown that Males have shopping boredom threshold of only 26 mins, whereas Females can stretch it out to two hours. I have to put myself in the Male category as if I can’t find anything I want or like within a few minutes, I get fed up. I used to go home dejected with nothing to show for it. Not anymore!

By applying a Decision Making Model to your shopping trips, you can speed up the process & have extra time deciding on which coffee to have & which delicious cake you’re going to have to go with it. If you’re not into that scene, think of the time you could spend on the golf course or in the man cave. Every success should be rewarded.

If you’re unsure of how to reach your ‘Three Word Style Statement’, please feel free to contact me, it won’t cost you anything!